German Army Spoon Tradition

[dognose]

Hi,

I'm hoping one of our German members can supply some information regarding this apparently odd tradition of spoon burying.



I came across the above image that was published in 1908. The accompanying caption reads: On the last day of a time-expired draft in the German army, the men are allowed to amuse themselves with burlesque ceremonials.........After the parade the men dig a grave and solemnly bury their regimental spoons, which during the march-past are hung upon a straw cross. The spoons are buried to the sound of hymns and dirges.

Can anyone add some more information? Is this tradition still upheld? Has any of the caches ever been dug up? Are the spoons silver??

Trev.

[R ingo]

Hello Trev,
I know some German Army Spoon Traditions but I have never heard about this ritual bevore. But there is something in the internet about it.

"Löffel begraben" (bury spoons) is a short story from Karl May, a German writer, noted mainly for books set in the American Old West, best known for the characters of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_May ).

He published the story 1889 with a anonym ilustration of this burlesque ceremonial ( http://karlmay.agerth.de/wiki/index.php ... egraben%27 ).

Here is the full text of the story ( http://www.zeno.org/Literatur/M/May,+Ka ... aben%C2%AB ).


I know, that in the former eastern German army (NVA) it was tradition, that the soldiers wich soon will leave the army, have a spoon with cuts to count the last days until they are free again. On the last day when the soldiers are leaving the casern, they throw the spoons on the barrack gate away.
I have also heard, that the spoon on the last day somewhere was nailed on. Sometimes the spoon was combinated with a 30 cm measuring tape, to count the las 30 days of the conscription. There are some different variations of this tradition. The spoon was called EK-Löffel (EK = Entlassungs-Kandidat).

I have no idea, if this tradition based on the spoon burial but both have the same motive. A interesting theme. Are there comparable traditions in England?

Kind regards,
Ringo

[dognose]

Hi Ringo,

Many thanks for the information and the links. I guess that the spoon became a symbol of the poor quality army food that was served up during their enforced period of military service and thus, upon their release, they were delighted to bury the offending piece forever!

I know of no such similar tradition in England, but I suspect the quality of the food was much the same.

Regards Trev.

[R ingo]

Hello Trev,
indeed you are right. The story from Karl May describes very nice the yearning of the soldiers for the delicious smelling homelike cooker and the joyful farewell to pea-instant-soup, rice and pot barley.
Rice was the most cooked but also most unpopular meal there and the soldiers were singing during the burial: "sadly we are going to the grave and nearly our hearts will break, but when I have no rice then I dont need the spoon..."
regards Ringo